Stairway



May 29, 1951 w. D. PHILLIPS ET A1. 2,555,002

sTAIRwAY Filed June 29, 1945 WILLIAM D- FHILLTF E FLEIYU L. HAW KI NE INVENTOR.

Patented May 29, 1951 STAIRWAY William D. Phillips and Floyd L. Hawkins, Birmingham, Ala.

Application June 29, 1945, Serial No. 602,342

4 Claims. l

This invention relates to metal stair construction, particularly to that type of construction which embodies pan type treads filled with cement, concrete, or other suitable filler, and has for an object the provision of a construction of the character designated in which the treads shall be tightly and rigidly drawn against the stringere by bolts which are wholly hidden from View when the stairway is assembled.

A further object of our invention is to provide a. metal stairway construction in which the treads are held in assembled relation with respect to the stringers by means of bolts embedded in the concrete liller of the tread.

I-Ieretofore, in the art to which our invention relates, it has been the practice to secure sheet metal treads and risers to their associated stringers by means of angle bars which are welded or bolted to the stringers and on which the treads rest, being secured thereto by means of rivets or bolts which are exposed on the solt, or underside of the stairway. Where, as usually is the case, appearance is an important consideration, these angle bars and exposed bolts are unsightly and the underside of the stairway has to be encased or ceiled in order1 to hide them. By means of our invention, we effect a tight juncture between the treads, risers, and stairway stringers by means which are wholly concealed from view, lying wholly within the cement filler of the treads.

A stairway embodying features of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the stairway;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view drawn to a larger scale taken along the line II-II in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view drawn to a larger scale taken along the line III--III in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV--IV of Fig. 3; and,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail plan view of the lower right hand portion of the stairway shown in Fig. 3 with the lip of abrasive material and the plastic filler removed for the sake of clarity.

In accordance with our invention, the stairwaystringers are provided with threaded bosses suitably spaced to receive bolts passing through angle lugs fastened on the tread and riser units. The angle lugs, when the bolts are tightened,

are spaced a slight distance away from the bosses turned portion I3 to provide one side I5 of a pan shaped, concrete tread form. Secured to each riser II near its lower end and directly above the tread I 0 is an angle lug I4; also secured to the vertically extending upper end I5 of each riser above the outer side of the tread, isan angle lug I6. It will be seen from Figs. 1 and 4 that the location of the angle lugs is important in that they aid in holding the upturned portion I3 of the riser in position with respect to the lip I2 of the tread.

The stairway stringers Il are each provided with bosses I8 and I9 welded thereto and spaced to lie opposite the angle lugs I4 and I Ii on the risers. The bosses I8 and I9 are provided with threaded openings for the reception of bolts 2| and 22, which pass through the angle lugs and into the bosses to draw the tread and riser units tightly against the stringers. As Will be seen from Figs. 2 and 3, the angle lugs are both spaced from their associated bosses so that when drawn up there is still a slight space 23 between the lugs and the bosses. This insures a tight engagement between the tread and riser units and the stringers.

When assembled as just described, the form provided by the tread and riser units is filled with concrete or other suitable plastic filler 24, which completely surrounds and hides the fastening means. It will also be seen that when the ller hardens, the fastening means, being embedded therein, provide additional supporting means for the treads. If desired, the usual lip 26, of abrasive material, may be added to the forward edge of each tread.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that we have devised an improved stairway construction which is simple of design, easy of manufacture and assembly, and one in which the treads and risers are drawn into tight engagement with the stringers by fastening means which are wholly hidden from view by the ller forming the treads.

While we have shown our invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but that it is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and wedesire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

Whatwe claim is:

1. In a metal stairway embodying lateral stringers, combined tread and riser units in which the tread of each terminates in a short upwardly inclined edge portion and the riser near its upper edge is forwardly inclined cooperating with and supporting the upwardly inclined edge portion of an adjacent tread, said riser terminatingin'a vertical edge portion forming with-an1adjacent tread and riser unit and the stringers a pan shaped form, a rearwardly disposed supporting lug secured to the vertical edge portion of the riser, .a .forwardly disposed :supporting lug secured to the riser near 'its juncture with the tread, bosses on the stringersspaced conforming to the spacing of the lugs and disposeid'within the form, bolts securing the`1ugs to thebosses, anda filler in the form completely coveringand concealing the bolts and lugs.

2. -A metal stairway comprising stringers and a plurality of tread andriser units mounted-between the stringers, -the `riser portions of the units extending above the v'forward edges of .the treadportions of adjacent units and forming with saidv tread portions of theV units and the stringers pan shaped forms, an angle lug securedadjacent the upper'ed-ge of each riser near each corner thereof and lying wholly Within the pan shaped form, a'second angle lug secured at each corner of the riser near the juncture of the riser with its associated tread and lying wholly within the pan shaped form, fastening means securing the lugs to the stringers, and a plastic filler in the form completely covering and concealing entirely the lugs and fastening means.

3. A metal stairway comprising stringere and a plurality of tread and riser units mounted between the stringers, the riser portions of the units extending above the forward edges of the tread portions of adjacent units and forming with said tread portions of the units and the stringers pan shaped forms, an angle lug secured adjacent the upper edge of each riser unit near each corner thereof and lying wholly within the pan shaped form, a second angle lug secured at each corner of the riser near the juncture of the riser with its associated tread and lying wholly within rthepan shaped .form, threaded bosses on the inner sides of the `stringers spaced conforming to the spacing of the lugs and disposed within the form, bolts securing the lugs to the bosses, and a v.plastic filler in the form completely covering and entirely concealing the bolts, lugs and bosses.

4. AA metal stairway of the type embodying lateralstringers and combined tread and riser units .tothe innersides of each -stringer adjacent ythe brackets: and espaced therefrom, bolts passing througheach bracket into the adjacent lug, and a filler in the .pan shaped form conceal-ing entirely the brackets, lugsand bolts.

WILLIAM D. PHILLIPS. 'FLOYDL HAWKINS.

REFERENCES CITED 'Thefollowing references are of record inthe file of `this patent:v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,078,403` vAnderson Nov. 11, 1913 1,420,294 Swanson June 20, 1922 1,446,454 Fischer Feb. 27, 1923 1,457,515, Frisch June 5, 1923 1,545,181 Bechtel July '7, 19.25 1,593,360 Richmond et al. July 20 1926 1,789,969 Davis Jan. 27, 1931 2,268,520 Wesley Dec. 30, 1941 

